1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an IC card processing apparatus and, more particularly, to an IC card processing apparatus having a function for receiving only a proper IC card incorporating a memory circuit or the like and having a regular length, performing a read/write process to the IC card, and discharging a wrong card having a length larger or smaller than the regular length without receiving the wrong card.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, an IC card, unlike a magnetic recording card, electrically stores various kinds of information in a memory IC, and is formed such that the information is exchanged between the IC card and an IC card processing apparatus serving as an external apparatus connected to the card through terminals arranged on the outer surface portion of the card.
FIG. 21 shows an example of an IC card 1. A plurality of external terminals 2 are respectively arranged at predetermined positions near the leading end on one surface 1a of the card 1 consisting of a resin, and the external terminals are connected to a memory IC (not shown) incorporated near the terminals of the IC card.
When the IC card 1 does not electrically exchange predetermined information with the IC card processing apparatus through the external terminals 2, information unique to a card holder, transaction information, or the like cannot be recognized. For this reason, the IC card is not illegally used easier than a magnetic card, and the contents of the IC card are not changed by an external magnetic force. Therefore, IC cards have been used in place of magnetic cards.
An IC card processing apparatus for reading/writing information from/in such an IC card does not generally have a receiving mechanism therein, and is arranged as follows. That is, the IC card processing apparatus receives an IC card inserted from a card insertion port until the external terminal portion of the IC card is inserted into the apparatus, and contact terminals are brought into contact with the external terminals of the card in the apparatus, respectively, thereby receiving and transmitting information through the contact terminals. Thereafter, the IC card from/in which information has been read/written is manually removed and used.
However, in such a conventional IC card processing apparatus, when a wrong card cut shorter than a proper card to intend misuse is completely inserted from a card insertion port into the apparatus, this wrong card cannot be removed from the outside, resulting in inconvenience. Therefore, the apparatus cannot be used thereafter.
As a technique for solving the above problem, an IC card processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 22 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,425. That is, in the IC card processing apparatus 10, an IC card 1 received from a card insertion port 11 is inserted into a housing 12 having an opening formed in the lower surface thereof, the leading end of the card passing above the opening is guided upward by an inclined guide member 13, and external terminals 2 of the card are brought into contact with a plurality of opposing contact terminals 14 arranged on the upper portion of the guide member 13, respectively.
According to this technique, as shown in FIG. 23, when a wrong card 3 having a length smaller than that of a proper card is inserted from the card insertion port 11 of the IC card processing apparatus, and the trailing end of the card passes through the card insertion port 11, the wrong card 3 is moved downward from the opening along the guide member 13 to be discharged out of the apparatus. In addition, when a wrong card having a length larger than that of the proper card is inserted, although the wrong card is temporarily stopped in the apparatus, the wrong card is discharged out of the apparatus from the opening when the wrong card is pressed by a subsequent card inserted by a next user to cause the trailing end of the wrong card to pass through the card insertion port 11.
However, in the conventional IC card processing apparatus as described above, since the external terminals are brought into contact with the contact terminals, respectively, such that the card itself is strongly bent at a position between the leading end and intermediate portion of the IC card 1, the strong deformation force acts on an integrated circuit such as a memory IC buried near the external terminals of the IC card, and the integrated circuit in the IC card may be damaged.
In order to avoid this, for example, the inclination angle of the guide member 13 in the IC card processing apparatus shown in FIG. 23 is decreased, the opening for discharging a wrong card decreases in size, and wrong cards except for cards each having a very small length cannot be discharged out of the apparatus. In addition, when the lower portion of the guide member 13 is decreased in length to increase the opening in size while the inclination angle of the guide member 13 is kept small, a proper card inserted such that the leading end is kept lowered cannot be received by the guide member 13, and the proper card is discharged from the opening, thereby resulting in inconvenience to the user.
As described above, in a conventional IC card, not only wrong cards each having a length smaller than a regular length but also wrong cards each having a length larger than the regular length cannot be easily discharged out of the apparatus without causing a forcible deformation force to act on the IC cards, and proper IC cards cannot be easily certainly guided to a terminal contact position.